If only the MD-95 would've remained the MD-95 which in reality was the DC-9-30 with new systems and not just a shrunken MD-90.
We'd probably bought it and you wouldn't even know what a CRJ700 or CRJ900 is much less concieve of such a jet being at a regional. Pilots would get hired to fly props at the regional level and build their time and quickly come ot mainline. They wouldn't have airplanes that turn the regionals into a career by taking away flying from mainline. And we might not even know what a whipsaw is, or it'd be a small whipsaw, like a router or something.
But since that won't happen I think if Delta's hands weren't tied or someone wasn't so myopic about it then they'd probably get the E195 to be the plane they want it to be and then promptly dump anything smaller. They want 100 seaters not 76 seaters.
The other thing is if we did ever get the 76 seat flying then I wouldn't bother trying to figure out who'd fly it cheaper even though I think we would be cheaper at mainline. But thats not how this Delta management team works, they manage margin not costs. And even if we were more expensive it'd be a moot point because they would not be limited in the quantity of 76 seat jets they could have, thus, they could order a huge fleet. They would have no limits, and in the case of the EJets they could order the larger stable mates to join the fllet as well. It would be a huge fleet that would right size many markets and make them more money. They'd park DC-9s, possibly even MD-88s as I think 2 76 seaters doing the same run as a single 88 are cheaper per run and offer more seats to sell both in first and coach.
But thats why we have a limit on 76 seaters, we don't want to park 9s and 88s over here until they're over here.